In one week, officers were called to five shootings, including one in Anfield, one in Tuebrook, one in Walton and one in Fazakerley, as gun crime spiralled.

Two took place in the middle of the day and involved gunmen on bikes recklessly opening fire on moving cars.

Matrix officers responded, detaining eight people in one week and recovering seven loaded guns – three revolvers, three self-loading pistols, including one with a silencer, and a sawn-off shotgun.

Reports were made of people seeing criminals brandishing guns in the middle of the day.

Today detectives explained how the sudden absence of the Whitneys gave the opportunity for other criminals to stake their claim – but police said they were confident improved links with the community had prevented another gang filling the gap.

The Whitneys kept an SA80 military assault rifle stashed in the Cherry Lane home of 53-year-old widow and gran Mary McCabe.

This gun had never been fired, but it was a visible sign of the Whitney muscle, ready to be used to intimidate rivals.

The discovery of 1,200 rounds of ammunition in a suitcase hidden in her car further demonstrated their firepower.

Some of that ammunition was described as “expanding bullets”, designed to cause maximum damage to a person.

The Whitneys never resorted to violence, but police suspect they employed younger scooter-riding teenagers to orchestrate attacks, and possibly even shootings, to warn other dealing factions.

Det Supt Richie Davies, from Matrix, told the ECHO: “With the Whitneys out of the equation, other dealers would have tried to capitalise.

“But we were quick to support the community with diversionary activities and work hand in glove with the locality to stop further criminality.

“We have encouraged the community to support us and they have shown they are behind what the police are doing 100%.

“Since the Whitneys were arrested, no faction has taken over and we will work hard to keep it that way.”

The family dealt primarily in Anfield, but did branch out sporadically into Tuebrook, Everton and Walton.

Dealing gangs are always careful, Matrix detectives said, to stick to their own territory because moving across “borders” often resulted in fall-outs and inevitably shootings.

The Whitney family and their associates were jailed for a total of 82 years earlier this week for supplying heroin and crack cocaine to desperate addicts.

With a number of “safe houses” in Watford Road, Hildebrand Road, Cherry Lane and City Road, they operated a “cash ‘n’ carry system”, trading with customers on street corners, close to a primary school and near telephone kiosks.

Police decided to conduct surveillance on members of the mob from 2009 and amassed damning evidence.

During police raids, body armour was recovered at the home of Carol “The Banker” Whitney, 53, sufficient for each male member of the family.

Bullets were dug up from a flower bed, which Carol claimed could be explained by her late son Gary, who was killed in an accident years ago, arguing he had a passion for the military.

In evidence, Carol described her friendship with Eddie Pybis, who was seen calling to her Anfield address by police. The 20-year-old, from Norris Green, was gunned down in January.